


Autumn Brings A Change

by Desdemona_Sarah_McKenzie



Series: Autumn Brings a Change [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic Revealed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 14:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19889323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desdemona_Sarah_McKenzie/pseuds/Desdemona_Sarah_McKenzie
Summary: “Get away from me, Merlin!”“Arthur, please! Just trust me! Please!”Arthur crawled backward, dragging his leg over the ground, sword raised to point at Merlin. “How can I trust you? You lied to me, for years, about everything!”Arthur finds out about Merlin's magic in the middle of a battle, but once it's over, he can't threaten or get away from Merlin due to a broken leg...





	Autumn Brings A Change

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I wrote this because the opening few lines imprinted on my brain and wouldn't leave me alone. I don't really have much of a reference as to when/where in canon this is/isn't, so just take it and enjoy! ~~Also, I might do a smutty second chapter following directly on from this if people are interested, so please leave a comment if you'd like to see that!~~ I have been validated, and so will write an explicit second chapter! The first chapter stands fine by itself though, and I'll change the rating when I post the second chapter, so don't worry, no surprise smut!
> 
> Also, I'm posting this at midnight after not having slept for the past 30 some hours, so if you see any glaring errors etc, please point them out to me! I think I got them all, but you can never be too sure! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

“Get away from me, Merlin!”

“Arthur, please! Just trust me! _Please_!”

Arthur crawled backward, dragging his leg over the ground, sword raised to point at Merlin. “How can I trust you? You _lied_ to me, for years, about _everything!_ ”

“I wanted to tell you, Arthur, I swear-”

“Then why didn’t you?” Arthur’s broke on the last two words, and he repeated himself, more brokenly. “Why didn’t you _tell_ me, Merlin?”

“It’s my destiny to protect you, Arthur, and I couldn’t have protected you very well with my head separated from my body, could I?” Merlin snapped. “You would have killed me, and then where would we be?”

Arthur shook his head, and winced as he tried to turn away.

“ _Arthur_. Let me help you.” Merlin took a step closer, but Arthur glared at him furiously. “Please.” He tried, softer this time. “You can try and kill me later, but unless I heal your leg there’s no way you’ll get out of this forest alive.”

Arthur looked ready to argue that point, but another shift in his position put more strain on his leg and forced a whimper from his lips. “Fine.” He lowered his sword, but didn’t look at Merlin as he approached, cautiously.

He tried not to flinch as he felt Merlin’s hands on his leg, probing and prodding and finding the source of the issue.

“That bandit’s club seems to have broken your leg in at least three places,” Merlin murmured, just loud enough for Arthur to hear. He felt Merlin’s hand tighten in the fabric of his trouser leg, then loosen as Merlin pulled away. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” He put his hand on Arthur’s shoulder, silently begging him to look at him, to show him anything but the hatred he had feared for so long. What he saw, instead, was hurt, and pain.

“I’m fine.” Arthur ground out. “Are you going to heal my leg or not?”

“That’s the problem. I don’t think I can,” Merlin shot him a sidelong glance. “Not with the usual methods, that is.”

“Are you seriously suggesting using magic? On your _king?_ Who has expressly _forbidden_ the use of said magic?” For a second, Arthur was too flabbergasted to be angry. He saw Merlin flinch though, and start back, an excuse forming on his lips, and just found himself tired. Tired of the lies, and the half-truths, and the barbs they exchanged like lovers’ kisses. “Very well,” He motioned to his leg, and saw Merlin relax slightly. “Get on with it.”

Merlin knelt between Arthur’s legs, his injured one laying flat on the ground while his other was bent at the knee. Merlin leaned over the site of the injury, only glancing nervously at Arthur twice before holding his hands a few inches above the leg, drawing a deep breath- He stopped, looked up, then looked at Arthur with a worried expression. “This is probably going to hurt a bit.”

Arthur just gazed back at him with a stony expression on his face. Merlin nodded, as if to himself, then resumed his position from a moment ago. He mumbled some words in a language Arthur didn’t understand, then a white hot pain shot through his leg, making his vision turn dark for what could have been seconds or hours. When Arthur came back to his senses, he heard Merlin’s worried voice calling his name, and familiar but shaky hands patting his face and holding his head. He blinked his eyes open, and saw Merlin’s panicked face staring down at him against a backdrop of autumn leaves. That was only for a second, though, before Merlin heaved a delirious sigh of relief and clumsily pressed his lips to Arthur’s. Just as quickly, Merlin pulled away again, panic returning to his face as he took in Arthur’s reaction, or lack thereof. Arthur blinked again, much more lucid now, and furrowed his brow.

“You kissed me.”

“I-I’m sorry, Arthur, I was just so worried I’d- killed you or something-” Merlin began to babble, but he fell silent when Arthur held up a hand.

“You _kissed_ me.” Arthur pushed himself up to a sitting position, barely registering the lack of pain in his leg at this new idea. He did register, though, that Merlin appeared to be straddling him, which meant as Arthur sat up, their faces came ever-so-close again. “First sorcery, and now this? You’re just full of surprises today, aren’t you, Merlin?” It had sounded more pointed than he’d meant it to. He was so close he heard Merlin gulp.

“Arthur…” Merlin trailed off as Arthur fixed him with his I’m-not-done-with-you-yet glare.

“So, am I to understand from this… display, that your feelings towards me are much more than a loyal subject’s towards his king?” Arthur raised an eyebrow archly.

Merlin nodded, hesitantly, clearly unsure as to whether he’d be allowed to speak.

“And that I can trust you completely, especially to tell me the truth about _everything_ from now on?”

Merlin nodded more fervently at that.

“Well then,” Arthur said, enjoying the upper hand for a moment longer. “I suppose I can forgive you.” And with that, he leant forward, capturing Merlin’s mouth with his own. Merlin made a muffled noise of surprise, but soon entered into the spirit of the thing, nuzzling into Arthur’s hand on his cheek, and running his fingers possessively through Arthur’s hair. They continued like this for a good amount of time, then Merlin broke the kiss, resting his forehead against Arthur’s as he sucked in air.

“I love you, Arthur. I always will.” He murmured forcefully, capturing Arthur’s gaze and communicating as much of an apology and a promise as he could with his eyes alone. Arthur rolled his, and used his hand on Merlin’s jaw to bring him in for another kiss, this one sweet and full of promise. He broke it again after a second or two, but stayed close enough to whisper against Merlin’s lips.

“I love you too, Merlin. I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are very much appreciated! ~~And if you'd like a smutty follow-up to this, feel free to tell me so!~~ Again, I have been requested a smutty follow-up to this, but if that's not your cup of tea, this chapter stands just fine by itself as a whole fic! Feel free to subscribe if you want to be notified when I post the second chapter!


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